Clasp.



G. F. PREVEAR.

CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED 2,113.6, 1908.

Pa'eted Mar. 29, 1910.

UNITE STT GEORGE F. PREVEAR, OF LEOMIN'STER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CLASP.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEoRGE F. PREVEAR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Leominster, in the count-y of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to clasps and more particularly to barrettes or hair clasps in which a tongue is hinged to a front for the purpose of holding the latter in position on the hair.

The object is to provide means for fastening the barrette in place without employing a tongue keeper of hooked form such as is commonly employed and which is liable to catch in and tangle the hair of the wearer.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a front View of a barrette or hair clasp, Fig. 2 is a back view of the same, Fig. 3 is an edge View of the same, Fig. 4 is a section in the plane of the line A-A of Fig. l, showing the parts in the position which they assume when the barrette is out of use, Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the position which the parts assume when the barrette is in use, Fig. 6 is a transverse section in the plane of the line B-B of Fig. 3, and Fig. 7 is a transverse section in the plane of the line CCof Fig. 5.

The front denoted by l is here shown of 4an ornamental design and may consist of tortoise-shell, celluloid, ivory, metal or other suitable material. It is here shown curved and its tongue denoted by 2 is hinged at 3 to the back of the front l near one end thereof and preferably has a normal curve substantially corresponding to that of the front l. The tongue 2 has a tapered end 4 which is received between the laterally yielding jaws 5 and 6 of a keeper 7 fastened to the back of the front l near the opposite end from that where the tongue is hinged. The jaws 5 and 6 of the keeper 7 are normally separated at their free ends a distance less than the diameter of the tongue 2 and are cut away on their inner faces, as shown at 8 and 9, preferably on a curved line to correspond to the transverse curve of the eX- terior surface of the tongue. It is intended that the normal space between the jaws 5 and 6 when the barrette is out of use, as shown in Fig. 4, shall be somewhat greater than the transverse section of the tongue 2 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 6, 1908.

Serial No. 414,473.

at the point where its tapered end 4 rests between the jaws 5 and 6 so that when the barrette is in use and the tongue 2 because of the pressure of the material introduced between the front and the tongue assumes a somewhat straightened condition as shown in Fig. 5, it will force the tapered end 4 of the tongue longitudinally along the space between the jaws 5 and 6 thereby completely filling the space as shown in Fig. 7, and by so doing affording additional security to the fastening by rendering the tongue less liable to be pressed out from between the jaws 5 and 6.

It is to be understood that the tongue 2 under the foregoing conditions shall be of some suitable resilient material, such, for eX- ample, as tortoise-shell, celluloid or other material, capable of yielding under pressure.

It is obvious that the sliding of the tapered end of the tongue longitudinally into the space between the jaws 5 and 6 might be accomplished by the bending of the front l instead of the straightening of the tongue 2 and that both these conditions might to some 'extent prevail, viz; the additional bending of the front l and the straightening of the tongue 2, and that these conditions would tend to force the tapered end of the tongue more securely into its socket.

While I have shown the fastening as ap plied to a barrette or hair clasp, it is obvious that it might be applied to clasps einployed under other conditions than this, and it is also obvious that the front might be made plain or ornamental as desired.

By making the keeper' 7 tapered toward its ends from the jaws 5 and 6, it is readily adjusted to the hair, finding its way readily in among the hairs and also readily removable from the hair without any tendency to catch and the free ends of the jaws 5 and 6 being made smooth and but slightly cut away on their inner faces, there is no tendency of the keeper to hook into and snarl the hair when the barrette is being removed.

That I claim is 1. A clasp comprising a front, a tongue hinged thereon, a keeper secured to the front and fitted to receive said tongue, the said tongue and front being composed of material which will permit the one to spring away from and toward the other, the said tongue being curved and tapered and arranged to rest when not in use and closed, in close proximity to the inner or back surface of the Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

front, the relation between the keeper and the tapered portion of the tongue being such that the keeper will freely receive the tongue when the clasp is not in use and will snugly receive it when the distance between the keeper and tongue hinge is lessened as in use.

2. A clasp comprising a front, a tongue secured thereon, a keeper also secured thereon and having jaws separated at their free ends suiiiciently to snugly receive a portion of the tongue, but cut away on their inner faces so as to loosely embrace the same portion7 the said tongue being curved and ta pered so that any straightening of it will force it longitudinally between the said cut l5 away faces of the jaws and securely lock it in the keeper.

In testimony, that claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnessses, this twenty-fifth 20 day 0f January, A. D. 1908.

GEORGE F. PREVEAR.

Titnesses F. WARD HEALEY, GEORGE l?. VILKINSON. 

